We see people locked in their ivory towers of academia, and we see politicians stuck in their bubble of D.C. political thought.
What they often miss is a lot of middle America and what Americans truly think.
As someone who moved from the northeast suburbs to a more rural area, with "white rural" people as well as non-white rural folks, they are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met, in a way that was both surprising and a joy. Of course, that's anecdotal. But that's to say that stereotypes of all kinds tend to be stupid, confining people into a box.
Our sister site Townhall reported on this moment on MSNBC, where Mika Brzezinski had the authors of "White Rural Rage: the Threat to American Democracy" on as guests. This is something else — to cast millions of Americans this way.
Here's what Tom Schaller, professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, had to say. He was there with his co-author, Paul Waldman, journalist and opinion writer.
This might be the most overtly racist thing I’ve seen people say on TV… pic.twitter.com/ucPnlupa0e
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) February 29, 2024
They [white rural voters] are the most racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-gay geodemographic group in the country. Second, they’re the most conspiracist group...Third, anti-democratic sentiments—they don’t believe in an independent press, free speech. They're most likely to say that the president should act unilaterally without any checks from Congress, or the Courts or the bureaucracy. They’re the most strongly white nationalist, and white Christian Nationalist. And fourth, they’re most likely to excuse or justify violence as an acceptable alternative to peaceful public discourse.
White working and rural folks used to have a lot of Democrats among them, but middle America has moved more to the right because Democratic policies have been a failure. Now you see attacks from folks like Joe Biden, who demonized millions of Americans as "MAGA extremists" for supporting Republicans. Perhaps he should have been looking at why they are doing so — because his policies are failing America on the economy, crime, and the border.
But then you have this screed from Schaller painting white rural voters as a "threat to democracy," and he lists a bunch of nasty characterizations.
Conspiracists and election denialism? Have these guys looked at the left over the past several years? Talk about election denialism — do these authors not remember all the efforts to interfere with former President Donald Trump taking office from the left? The efforts to try to turn electors, the anti-Trump riot on Jan. 20, 2017? How about Stacey Abrams?
Then, as to conspiracies. Let's talk about the Russia collusion hoax — and the left now seems to be re-upping for Russia collusion 2.0, as you see talk on X seemingly suggesting the indictment of Alexander Smirnov wipes out the reality of the laptop or any other evidence about the Bidens.
On what basis is Schaller claiming white rural folks don't believe in an independent press or free speech?
What many voters on the right of all racial persuasions, in all types of areas, rural, suburb, and city, think is that much of the media isn't objective and seems to be pushing a liberal narrative. That isn't the same thing as saying they don't think there should be an independent press. They want the press to be independent; they don't think a lot of it is. And as far as I can tell, white rural voters are big believers in free speech.
Threat to democracy? Meanwhile, as these guys talk about white rural rage, we have had thousands in the streets over the past few months chanting about intifadas against the colonizers. That doesn't just include Israel; they include the U.S. as a colonizer.
We've seen leftist violence for decades, led by radicals whose purpose is to move us toward the radical left. That's a huge threat to our constitutional republic but not one that a lot of the media wants to talk about because they are often on the left, too.
Why would any white rural voter jump aboard the liberal train when they are portrayed in such a way? And Democrats wonder why they're losing these voters. It's exactly because of commentary like this — because we see Democrats like Joe Biden trying to pain flyover country as a "threat."
If you truly don't want their vote, keep attitudes like this up rather than attempting to understand why Democrats are losing these voters.
This seems pretty racist, but I'm just a rube in fly-over country, so what do I know? https://t.co/Vn4rVKwC5D
— D.B. Taylor, now with 16% more Hottentot! (@DBTayor) February 29, 2024
Need to run ads based on this clip to every rural area in America. Yes, even non-white areas.
— Chris (@chriswithans) February 29, 2024
Trump won "rural America" by 32 points in 2020. But there's no reason he can't make it 50 or 60. https://t.co/OMvSzZ4OxX
The definition of Coastal Elites. I have been to the heartland many times and never was I treated better. My direct report's kids called me sir, restaurants you were called "Darlin", had people make a fresh pot just because at the local store. https://t.co/XVUPXNehcq https://t.co/rMkJMl2Bw0
— Scott Wheeler (@scott_wheeler12) March 1, 2024
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You Know It Backfired Badly: Biden Now Desperately Trying to Backpedal His Despicable Speech
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